Mr. Emmett D. Johnson '67 was honored by the Council of the Great City Schools Fall conference in Portland, Oregon in October with the 2009 Richard R. Green Award. The award is the nation's highest honor for urban education leadership.Additionally, a $10,000 scholarship will be presented in his name to an Atlanta Public School student.

Johnson was elected to the Atlanta Board of Education in 1997 and he has enjoyed a 12-year tenure. Johnson has played a leading role in strengthening the relationship between the school board and the superintendent. His efforts laid the groundwork for Atlanta’s transformation to a high performing school district and a national model for urban school reform.

The district’s urban reform initiatives serve as models for the nation. Signature programs include the high school transformation, single-gender learning academies, and Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) that provides intensive academic and social support services to students in kindergarten through college.

Johnson holds board chair appointments on the Accountability, Audit, Board Professional Development and Budget committees. He is also the Board's legislative liaison, a delegate for the Georgia School Board Association, and a member of the Panasonic Foundation LAP Traveling Team.